1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aromatic polymer phosphonic acid derivatives, and more precisely, aromatic polymer phosphonic acid derivatives having phosphonic acid derivative groups directly bound to aromatic rings, a process for the production thereof and a use of these compounds.
The present invention also relates to a process for brominating an aromatic polymer compound.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aromatic polymer phosphonic acid derivatives are useful as materials for solid polymer type (polymer electrolyte type) fuel cell or others. For example, polymers in which phosphonic acid derivative groups or the like are bound to aromatic rings through methylene groups have been proposed, and production of such polymers has also been proposed by halogenating methyl groups in poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) or the like and then reacting the product with a trialkyl phosphate (see, for example, JP-A-11-503262 and J. Appl. Poly. Sci., 18, 1974 (1969)).
However, a polymer in which phosphonic acid derivative groups or the like are directly bound to aromatic rings has not been known.
As the result of extensive studies on a process for producing polymers in which phosphonic acid derivative groups or the like are directly bound to aromatic rings, the present inventors have found the fact that polymers in which phosphonic acid derivative groups or the like are directly bound to aromatic rings can easily be produced by brominating a specific aromatic polymer compound, which is a polyether compound, with a brominating agent, then acting thereon trialkyl phosphate in the presence of a nickel halide catalyst to give a phosphonic acid di-ester, and further, by hydrolyzing the di-ester to give a phosphonic acid mono-ester, a phosphonic acid or others, and the fact that these aromatic polymer phosphonic acid derivatives are excellent in radical resistance required on a material for solid polymer type fuel cell. The present invention has been completed based on such facts.